Referendum of 1980 in Quebec
The referendum of 1980 in Quebec is the first Référendum opening the possibility with the Canadian province of the Quebec of becoming sovereign.
Context
This referendum was initiated by the government of Quebec then directed by Rene Lévesque, chief of the Parti Québécois. At the time of the electoral campaign of 1976, Rene Lévesque had promised that it would hold such a referendum during the first mandate of his government. It is to honor this promise which it initiated the very referendum of 1980 if the surveys gave him little hope then to obtain the majority of the votes during the public consultation.
The chief clerk question
The chief clerk question was the following one:
“ the Government of Quebec made known its proposal to arrive from there, with the remainder of Canada, with a new agreement based on the principle of the equality of the people; this agreement would make it possible Quebec to acquire the exclusive capacity to make its laws, to perceive its taxes and to establish its foreign relations, which is sovereignty, and, at the same time, to maintain with Canada an economic association involving the use of the same currency; no political change of status resulting from these negotiations will be carried out without the agreement of the population at the time of an other referendum; consequently, do you grant to the Government of Quebec the mandate to negotiate the agreement suggested between Quebec and Canada? ”
According to some, the lack of clarity of this question would be the main cause of the defeat of Yes. On another side, several analysts think that, although a majority of Inhabitant of Quebec were then nationalist and sympatic with the idea of sovereignty, several voted against sovereignty by fear of the unknown, fear which the adversaries of sovereignty exploited well during the program chief clerk.
Results
The referendum took place on May 20th, 1980 in Quebec and the proposal to start a process of Indépendance was disallowed by 59,44% of the votes cast. It is the evening of this May 20th, 1980, which Rene Lévesque declares his famous and prophetic: “With the next time! ”.
See too
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